STATE MALADIES
There is an affliction that runs around our present
state of affairs. That has with passage
of time is becoming all pervasive afflicting our nerves, veins and cell
structure of our polity and society. That affliction may be
called the ‘patron-client relationships.’
It has become omnipresent and emerging like a Frankenstein, out to devour
everything on its way. One may accept it or may deny it but it is a fact of our lives.
A
tendency to better of our ego and to become more than our actual self is
gradually being manifested in every power structure and processes of our lives
at political, social, economic, cultural, business, academic or any other
spheres that may be named into. It does not matter if that way we get
manifestation by bypassing, overshadowing,
subjugating or undermining others. The others
include anybody, whether individuals, office holders, institutions in state or
society. The others may
or may not be our competitors. By such an endeavour, an attitude
of caring less or to the extent of damning others
come into our psychic. Such an attitude is antithetical to a cultured or a civilised way of life. It is also incongruous in our dealings, involvement or participation
at micro family, friend circle, community to the macro level, at state and its various institutional fabrics.
Nowadays this has been prominently in display and conspicuous in its
manifestation. The aim is
to expand our persona beyond our
stretched limit. To that end we care a damn to the means even
if it involves borrowed resources. That extra-legal
expansion is being nurtured and sustained by an expansive
modality, though invisible, by an expansive mechanism of
patron-client relationships. It may be polemical for others,
but it is a fact of our lives.
Our ancient scriptures give primacy to a saintly or the philosopher king. We have heard of Sage Janak King bowing before Sages Yajnavalkya and Ashtavakra to get answer to his questions. Yajnavalkya was highly pleased with the knowledge of Janaka, and said, “Ask for a boon.” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 4.3,). Sage Janaka King raised certain perplexed questions before his advisors, “May I be permitted to ask questions whenever I please, whenever I want to ask.” That was all that he asked for. What was real? Was he a beggar, as in the nightmare, or he is a king? Nobody in the assembly of advisors could answer the questions that disturbed King Janaka. Sage Ashtavakra, who entered the King’s court and surprised everyone with the answer:“ King Janaka, neither beggar nor emperor is real. You alone are real. You, yourself, are the truth. You, who was present as pure consciousness in the dream state playing the role of the beggar and who is present in the waking state playing the role of the king, this you who witnessed both these states, is your true reality.
Life during the day time is a day-dream, during the night it is a night-dream. They are both illusions. They are filled with defects and flaws because they constantly change from one thing to another, so they cannot be real. Only you who remain unchanged in all these states are real, free of all change and illusion.” That was the humility as well as wisdom of a saintly King.
So also in the Mouryan empire Emperor Chandragupta and his successor Bindusara alwyas relied on
the wisdom of Chanakya (Kautalya), even to the extent of subjecting the King to the rule of law and
institutional mechanisms.
(The Historical View of the Relationship Between Koutilya and Mourya Empire, by Prof.Prahallada, IJARIIE,Vol-6 Issue-5 2020).
In ancient Greek Philosophy, Plato's Philosopher Kings were much talked about. They were “trained to reach the hall mark of wisdom, philosophy, justice and dialectics. They are therefore trained and specialised in wisdom, rational thinking and philosophy of the highest order to discern good, apply knowledge and make rational judgements in their most ideal perfect form. These social units as argued by Plato are likened to the human being with its three souls, the soul of the mind (the rational soul) responsible for rational and philosophical thinking, control, commands and judgements, the soul of the heart and will (spirited soul) which is courageous, obedient and service willingly, and the lastly but not the least the soul of the body (appetitive soul) work, production and sustenance).
3. Present Era
All the ideal features and characteristics identified in our scriptures and ancient time are being relegated to the background for replacement by giant like ‘self’ and elephant like ‘ego; In the process institutions of the state, business, professional groupings, associations and civil society as well as citizenry at large face major affronts.
As for the institutions of the state be it legislature, executive or judiciary at the level of the Union or it corresponding counterparts at the state eulogies to the heads are prepared almost simultaneously by loyal courtiers not necessarily within the same branch line but by anybody who desires to get out of the jump in favouritism to get a share of pelf and perks? Such a habit almost percolates down the other state and non-state institutional structures and processes including business, academics, civil society and other associations in trade, business and professions.
As per our Constitution, we have a Cabinet form of government headed at the Union level the Prime Minister and at the state level the Chief Minister. Everything runs on paper as per the Cabinet decision but in practice, it is the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) or correspondingly, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) that run the shows.
Same is the case of institution down the layers. Although in paper everything is normal but in practice the head of the institution calls the shot. Where is autonomy at sphere level? From the macro to micro lower down at Panchayat and Municipality levels to higher up at the state and Union government it is the head that ultimately proposes and disposes. The same thing prevails in academics and research, where patron-client relationships are more pervasive that explicitly can not be accepted nor denied.
How to get rid of all these maladies? Can we remain silent when public resources are being sip[honed off through extralegal mechanisms? Everybody is aware of the notorious banking scams in India that requires no specific citation. Almost on routine basis everyday news reports are coming out raids by central agencies to nab the scam culprits.
At this juncture, it is more appropriate to strengthen the process of accountability through monitoring and investigation by independent, impartial and expertise agencies. Who need to identify and fix the systemic loopholes along with the positional abusers so as to prevent any future abuse of positions. Alternatively, can we have an automatic response mechanism with zero time responses to deal with such exigencies as well as contingencies? Sooner the better.
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